Science Moab

Aquatic insects can be used as bio-indicators of how a river’s ecosystem is doing. In the case of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, these insects are being severely affected by the Glen Canyon Dam. We talk with ecologist and bug lover Anya Metcalfe about her research with aquatic invertebrates in the Grand Canyon and how this might help sustain the weakening food web within this river corridor.

While dinosaur remains can be fragmented and hard to find, several reptile remains from the Cretaceous period (65-75 million years ago) are extremely abundant. These include freshwater turtles and a marine lizard known as a Mosasaur. We talk with Josh Lively, curator of Paleontology at USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum in Price, UT, about his work with these ancient reptiles and what his goals are with his new position.

Ambient water includes water from sources such as lakes, streams and springs. While ambient water may relate to groundwater or drinking water, it is not the same. Arne Hultquist is responsible for testing the ambient water quality in Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah. This includes the drainages of Mill and Pack Creek. As far as desert communities go, Moab and Spanish Valley have excellent ambient water quality.

The Navajo Nation is the size of West Virginia. Throughout the Nation, the topography, precipitation patterns, and water recharge are extremely diverse, but not well understood. Here we talk with principal hydrologist Crystal Tulley-Cordova about her work with the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources and her research around the precipitation, recharge sources, and opportunities for sustainable water use on the Navajo Nation.

This episode was made possible by a Stem Action Grant from the Society for Science

The Grabens is an area in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park along the Colorado River that is constantly changing. The earth in these grabens is slowly moving up and down along faults and has resulted in a series of upthrown and downthrown blocks that results in long valleys between high areas. We talk with geophysicist Alba Rodriguez Padilla about the movement along these faults and how the information helps understand earth movements elsewhere.

Wildlife conservationist Joel Berger has come full circle with his observations of Bighorn Sheep. After studying Bighorn during his graduate studies, Joel took a 30 year hiatus from the species only to return recently by undertaking a Desert Bighorn Sheep study in southeast Utah. We talk with Joel about the logistics of monitoring the sheep and the possible impacts from the increase in human recreation in the area.

Reading a snowpack can be as much art as it is science. We talk with Eric Trenbeath, avalanche forecaster for the USFS Utah Avalanche Center for the La Sal and Abajo Mountains, about reading patterns in the snow and how that fits into an avalanche forecast. Each snow or wind event change the story and ultimately change the daily forecast.

Traditional foods that address the environmental, cultural, nutritional and spiritual health of land and people is at the heart of Cynthia Wilson’s work. As a tribal member of the Navajo Nation, Cynthia was born and raised in Monument Valley, UT. We talk with Cynthia about her work with traditional foods and the founding of the Women of Bears Ears who seek to restore Indigenous women’s matrilineal roles and the rematriation of the Earth.

Colleen Cooley grew up in Shą́ą́ʼtóhí, a small community located on the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona. She guides on the San Juan and Green Rivers and advocates for the landscapes, waters, and cultures that surround her. Here, we speak with her about her experience as a Diné river guide, the importance of water, and what she wants to see moving forward for Native and Indigenous guides and Native communities in the region.

Many animals rely on sound for communication, especially birds. Human generated noise can have a large impact on bird numbers and productivity. Science Moab talks with Skip Ambrose, a wildlife biologist who specializes in the bioacoustics of birds. We talk about the specialized methods of recording the sound of birds and how this data helps define how much the birds are affected by human noise.